Voglio sapere a riguardo di…

Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 23 / Friday, February 5, 2021 / Notices During daytime low visibility conditions, one PSO will monitor the exclusion zone with a mounted IR
camera, while the second PSO
maintains visual watch using naked eye/reticle binoculars.
If nighttime observations are required, two PSOs will monitor the exclusion zone using a mounted IR
camera and hand-held/wearable NVDs.
HRG Surveys The visual monitoring requirements for HRG surveys would be consistent with those described for monopile installation, differing as follows:
At least one PSO must be on duty during daylight operations on each survey vessel, conducting visual observations at all times on all active survey vessels during daylight hours i.e., from 30 minutes prior to sunrise through 30 minutes following sunset.
A minimum of two PSOs must be on watch during nighttime operations.
PSOs would ensure 360 visual coverage around the vessel from the most appropriate observation posts and would conduct visual observations using binoculars and/or NVDs and the naked eye.
In cases where multiple vessels are surveying concurrently, any observations of marine mammals would be communicated to PSOs on all nearby survey vessels.

jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES2

Data Collection Among other pieces of information, South Fork Wind will record detailed information about any implementation of delays or shutdowns, including the distance of animals to the pile and a description of specific actions that ensued and resulting behavior of the animal, if any. NMFS requires that, at a minimum, the following information be collected on the sighting forms:
Date and time that monitored activity begins or ends;
Construction activities occurring during each observation period;
Weather parameters e.g., wind speed, percent cloud cover, visibility;
Water conditions e.g., sea state, tide state;
Species, numbers, and, if possible, sex and age class of marine mammals;
Description of any observable marine mammal behavioral patterns, including:
Bearing and direction of travel and distance from pile driving activity, changes in behavioral patterns, noting when/if they correspond to change in activity e.g., turning source on or off, and amount of time spent within Level A and Level B harassment zones
VerDate Sep<11>2014

19:54 Feb 04, 2021

Jkt 253001

Distance from pile driving activities to marine mammals and distance from the marine mammals to the observation point;
Type of construction activity e.g., vibratory or impact pile driving, HRG
survey and specific phase of activity e.g., ramp-up for HRG survey, HRG
acoustic source on/off, soft start for pile driving, active pile driving, etc. when marine mammals are observed.
Description of implementation of mitigation measures e.g., delay or shutdown.
Locations of all marine mammal observations; and Other human activity in the area.
Marine Mammal Passive Acoustic Monitoring South Fork Wind would utilize a PAM system to supplement visual monitoring during all pre-clearance, WTG and OSS impact piling operations, and post visual monitoring periods. The PAM system would be monitored by a minimum of one acoustic PSO
beginning at least 60 minutes prior to soft start of pile driving and at all times during pile driving. Acoustic PSOs would immediately communicate all detections of marine mammals to visual PSOs, including any determination regarding species identification, distance, and bearing and the degree of confidence in the determination. PAM
would be used to inform visual monitoring during construction. The PAM system would not be located on the pile installation vessel.
Acoustic PSOs may be on watch for a maximum of four consecutive hours followed by a break of at least two hours between watches, and for a maximum of twelve hours per day. Acoustic PSOs would be required to complete specialized training for operating PAM
systems. PSOs can act as acoustic or visual observers but not simultaneously as long as they demonstrate that their training and experience are sufficient to perform each task.
Acoustic Monitoring for Sound Source and Harassment Isopleth Verification During the first monopile installation, South Fork Wind would be required to empirically determine the distances to the isopleths corresponding to Level B
harassment thresholds either by extrapolating from in situ measurements conducted at distances approximately 100 m or less, depending on the position of the noise mitigation system, 750 m, 1500 m, 3000 m, and 6000 m from the pile being driven, or by direct measurements to locate the distance where the received levels reach the
PO 00000

Frm 00043

Fmt 4701

Sfmt 4703

8531

relevant thresholds or below.
Additionally, measurements conducted at multiple distances from the pile will be used to estimate propagation loss.
Isopleths corresponding to the Level B
harassment threshold would be verified for comparison with the acoustic propagation range and R95percent modeled isopleths used to estimate proposed authorized take.
If initial acoustic field measurements indicate distances to the isopleths corresponding to Level B harassment thresholds are greater than the distances predicted by modeling as presented in the IHA application, South Fork Wind must implement additional sound attenuation measures prior to conducting additional pile driving.
Initial additional measures may include improving the efficacy of the implemented noise attenuation technology and/or modifying the piling schedule to reduce the sound source. If implementation of these corrective actions does not result in distances to the Level B harassment isopleths that are similar to or less than those used to calculate take, South Fork Wind would install a second noise mitigation system to achieve the modelled ranges. Each sequential modification would be evaluated empirically by acoustic field measurements.
If acoustic measurements indicate that distances to isopleths corresponding to the Level B harassment threshold are less than the distances predicted by modeling as presented in the IHA
application, South Fork Wind may request a modification to the clearance and exclusion zones for impact pile driving. If modifications are approved by NMFS, each sequential modification to decrease zone sizes would also be evaluated empirically by acoustic field measurements.
Reporting A draft report would be submitted to NMFS within 90 days of the completion of monitoring for each installations inwater work window. The report would include marine mammal observations pre-activity, during-activity, and postactivity during pile driving days, and would also provide descriptions of any changes in marine mammal behavioral patterns resulting from construction activities. The report would detail the monitoring protocol, summarize the data recorded during monitoring including an estimate of the number of marine mammals that may have been harassed during the period of the report, and describe any mitigation actions taken i.e., delays or shutdowns due to detections of marine mammals, and documentation of when shutdowns
E:FRFM05FEN2.SGM

05FEN2